Dindigul: Acute drinking water crisis at Gnanapuram

DINDIGUL: Normally, developmental activities like expansion of road enhance comfort of people. But such development has brought acute drinking water crisis to residents of Gnanapuram at Seelapadi panchayat. The colony people have been running from pillar to post for a pot of water.

PATHETIC: A resident collecting water seeping from a pipeline on Karur-Dindigul highway on Sunday. — PHOTO: G. KARTHIKEYAN

With closure of a high yielding well on Karur by-pass road for expansion of four laning of Karur-Dindigul Highway recently, the only water source to this colony was completely sealed.

All promises and assurances from political circles and the district administration to calm down indignant residents of this colony who vociferously protested the closure of the well were kept as promises only.

At present, the residents totally depend on water leaking from a main pipeline supplying Cauvery drinking water to Dindigul near J.K. Nagar, one km away from the colony.

The Seelapadi panchayat had installed a plastic tank and a fitted a motor to supply drinking water to this colony. The pumping motor had been under repair for a long time. The Seelapadi panchayat too failed to fill the tank. It had filled only twice after an agitation by the local people, said Nagammal, a resident of the colony.

“For all other purposes, we buy water from private water suppliers. We pay Re.1 for a pot of water. The situation will turn worse in the summer. Private suppliers will increase prices of water in the coming months,” she worries.

They appealed to repair the pumping motor and streamline water supply to this colony.

The residents had blocked Karur-Dindigul by pass recently in protest against the closure of their only water source two months ago.

The Seelapadi panchayat and the district administration assured to take efforts to supply drinking water regularly to their colony.